A good veggie stock is the backbone to so many recipes. Beyond an essential for soups and stews, I use it in pasta and rice dishes, stir-fries, homemade seitan—really anything that could use added depth and richness. Super easy to make and keeps well in the freezer, I always have it close at hand. 

This stock is a middle-of-the-road variety. Don’t feel constrained to follow the recipe as written. Adding dried wild mushrooms or porcinis really ups the umami and goes great with mushroom dishes or to flavor meat alternatives. Likewise, adding parsley stems and additional tomatoes push it towards Italian, while coriander, cilantro and lemongrass nudge it toward Southeast Asian cuisine. Feel free to push it in any direction you’d like.

Go-to Veggie Stock

Makes 4 quarts
 

-4 carrots, roughly chopped
-4 celery stalks, roughly chopped
-3 tomatoes, halved
-2 leeks, roughly chopped
-2 potatoes, quartered
-1 white or yellow onion, quartered
-1 head garlic
-½ lb. crimini and/or shiitake mushrooms, halved
-2 bay leaves
-1 tsp whole peppercorns
-1 tsp sea salt
-6 quarts filtered water

1.     Place all ingredients in a large stockpot, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, tilt lid slightly open and simmer on low for at least 2 hours. The longer you let it simmer the more intense the stock. I usually start it in the morning and let it go through the early afternoon, so it’s ready to use in the evening. 

2.     When stock is to your liking, strain and transfer to storage containers. Immediately place containers in an ice bath to cool. It will keep in the fridge for a week and for several months in the freezer.